1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the joining of aluminum conductors and in particular to MIG arc spot welding of aluminum conductors to form electrical conductor connections.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aluminum has successfully replaced copper in a large number of electrical conductor applications. Whether or not aluminum may be used in a specific conductor application is usually dependent upon the availability of an economical and reliable electrical connection between conductor members, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,869 entitled "Electrical Connection Between Aluminum Conductors", issued Aug. 7, 1979, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. While the methods and electrical conductor connections in this U.S. patent provide excellent electrical conductor joints, the present application discloses certain improvements to these methods and connections. The same parameters set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,869 also apply to the improvements, i.e., the joining technique must be applicable to production line techniques, it must be reliable and reproducible with minimum operator skill level, it must be economical and it must produce joints which may be visually inspected for joint integrity.